Kesejahteraan Sosial

24 KOMPENDIUM REKOMENDASI POLISI KESEJAHTERAAN PSIKOLOGI PERKHIDMATAN AWAM KESEJAHTERAAN SOSIAL The absence of legal protection for mental illness has a tangible impact. Employees exposed to untreated psychological health problems can suffer from reduced productivity, emotional exhaustion and long- term deterioration in mental health. For mothers returning to work early or caregivers having to juggle conflicting responsibilities, the lack of legal recognition and systemic support contributes to increased role strain and undermines their overall well-being. While the Public Service Circular No. 1/2024 provides administrative provisions such as staggered working hours and maternity leave, the lack of statutory enforcement limits their effectiveness and leads to inconsistent implementation across sectors and agencies. This inconsistency reflects a broader structural issue without a standardised legal framework based on psychological evidence, mental health protection in the workplace remains subject to managerial discretion and cultural bias. There is currently no legal mechanism to standardise responses to psychological harm, assess psychosocial risks or provide recourse for employees who experience mental health problems in the course of their work. Consequently, existing policies are insufficient to address the complexity and prevalence of mental health issues in Malaysian workplaces. To address this gap, the establishment of a Malaysian Psychology Act is both timely and necessary. Such a law would officially recognise psychological injuriesas legitimatework-relatedhealthproblems, provide a legal basis for their assessment and compensation, and transform mental health from an arbitrary welfare benefit to a fundamental labour right. For example, research has shown that short maternity leave is associated with increased postpartum mental health problems and lower breastfeeding continuity (Dagher et al., 2016; Ishak et al., 2020). A legally grounded policy framework would legitimise recovery time, parental bonding and mental health support as entitlements rather than organisational privileges. In addition, the law should expand SOCSO’s jurisdiction to include psychological health injuries such as chronic stress, burnout, and trauma due to workplace factors. This would allow employees to apply for leave or compensation based on verified psychological diagnoses, ensuring legal protection and systemic support. Such provisions are crucial for groups such as public servants working under rigid schedules,